yardstick
noun
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Definition of yardstick
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Synonyms for yardstick
Synonyms
bar, barometer, benchmark, criterion, gold standard, grade, mark, measure, metric, par, standard, touchstone
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Examples of yardstick in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cécile, a motherless seventeen-year-old whose permissive, feckless father has provided the only yardstick for her personal conduct, offers Sagan a particularly naked example of the human sensibility taking shape. — Rachel Cusk, The New Yorker, "Françoise Sagan, the Great Interrogator of Morality," 21 Aug. 2019 The monthly numbers from USCBP have become a yardstick by which President Trump measures the success of his administration's efforts to reduce immigration, his signature issue. — CBS News, "Number of border crossings dips below 100,000 for first time in months," 8 Aug. 2019 But age was an image that Buttigieg deployed again and again, often deftly, sometimes as a metaphor, sometimes as a practical yardstick. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, "At the Democratic Debate, Pete Buttigieg Addresses the Age Issue," 31 July 2019 While 3,000 hits, 500 homers and 300 wins used to be virtual yardsticks for admission to the Baseball Hall of Fame, the electorate of writers now realizes the game has changed, as have their voting patterns. — Dan Schlossberg, USA TODAY, "Will there ever be another 300-game winner? Baseball Hall of Fame's standards have changed," 19 July 2019 No Child Left Behind legislation made standardized reading and math scores the yardstick for measuring progress, the time devoted to both subjects has only grown. — Natalie Wexler, The Atlantic, "Elementary Education Has Gone Terribly Wrong," 9 July 2019 Kavanaugh's appointment became a yardstick of the country's political divide last year, and a litmus test for Senate Democrats who are now running for president. — Phillip M. Bailey, The Courier-Journal, "McGrath flip-flops on whether she would have voted to put Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court," 9 July 2019 And when mastery of a craft is the measure, Michael Jackson’s divine abilities remain the yardstick by which others are measured and against which today’s masters still measure themselves. — Washington Post, "Text of Jackson estate statement on 10th death anniversary," 25 June 2019 And when mastery of a craft is the measure, Michael Jackson’s divine abilities remain the yardstick by which others are measured and against which today’s masters still measure themselves. — Chris Eggertsen, Billboard, "Michael Jackson Estate Releases Statement on 10th Anniversary of Singer's Death," 25 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'yardstick.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for yardstick
yardstick
noun
English Language Learners Definition of yardstick
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yardstick
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